Flexible fit cap with improved sweatband

ABSTRACT

A cap is provided that includes a crown that is substantially hemispherical in shape and configured to receive the head of a wearer and an unfolded sweatband connected to the inside bottom edge of the crown. The sweatband is preferably unfolded and constructed from the same material used to construct the crown. The sweatband can include a front portion and a back portion, which are connected by a seam cover.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 60/314,510 filed Aug. 22, 2001, entitled “Cap with Seam Covers.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of headwear. Theinvention more particularly provides a flexible fit cap with an improvedsweatband.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The design of headwear, and baseball caps in particular, has evolvedover time in response to advances in plastics and textiles, changes infashion trends and the availability of sophisticated manufacturingfacilities. Despite the wide variation in design, most caps shareseveral common features. As shown in FIG. 1, most prior art caps includea crown 10 for receiving the wearer's head and a brim or bill 12extending from the crown 10. The crown 10 is typically constructed froma number of connected gores 14 that form the substantially hemisphericalshape of the cap 10. In some cases, the gores 14 are fabricated from anelastic material that is designed to stretch to fit the wearer's head.

Most prior art caps also include a sweatband 16 that iscircumferentially disposed along the inside of the bottom of the crown10. The sweatband 16 generally serves to hold the cap in position uponthe wearer's head, but may serve additional functions, such asperspiration absorbency. When a cap is intended to provide a flexiblefit, the sweatband 16 can also include an elastic material that enablesstretching during use.

In some cases, it is desirable to use sweatbands that include multiplecomponents that are connected to form a continuous band. For example, asshown in the prior art cap of FIG. 2, it may be desirable to incorporatean elastic band in a back portion 18 of the sweatband 16 and a padded,absorbent band in a front portion 20 of the sweatband 16. Typically, thefront portion 20 and the back portion 18 overlap on opposite sides ofthe cap and are stitched together along a sweatband seam 22.

The prior art methods of attaching the front portion 20 to the backportion 18 suffer from several deficiencies. For example, overlappedportions of the sweatband 16 press against the wearer's head during use,thereby causing discomfort. Additionally, the exposed stitching isunsightly and detracts from the aesthetic qualities of the hat.Furthermore, the repetitive contact between the wearer's head and theexposed stitching along the sweatband seam 22 can degrade the stitchingover time, increasing the chance of separation between the separateportions of the sweatband.

It is also known in the art to form at least some portion of thesweatband by inwardly folding the lower portions of the gores 14 withinthe crown 10, as shown in FIG. 2. This design generally benefits fromlower material and labor costs. Although cheaper to manufacture, thissweatband design suffers several drawbacks.

For example, adjacent gores 14 are typically joined together at a goreseam 24, which is buttressed with a gore seam brace 26. When the gores14 are inwardly folded, the underside of the gore seam 24 is revealedand placed in direct contact with the wearer's head. Additionally, thefolded gore seam brace 26 creates lumps in the sweatband 16 that cancause discomfort to the wearer.

As hat designs have changed over the years, the importance of productbranding has become increasingly important. Team logos and company namesare among the designs that are frequently affixed to modem headwear. Inthe prior art, these designs have been limited to placement on theexterior of the crown or bill of the hat.

In light of these and other deficiencies, there exists a need to developan economic, comfortable and attractive baseball cap that overcomes thedeficiencies in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a cap that includes a crown that issubstantially hemispherical in shape and configured to receive the headof a wearer. The crown preferably includes a plurality of gores, whereinthe plurality of gores is constructed from a material that permitslateral stretching about the circumference of the crown. The cap alsoincludes a separate unfolded sweatband connected to the inside bottomedge of the crown. In the presently preferred embodiment, the sweatbandcomprises a front portion and a back portion. The front portionpreferably includes a front contact layer that is constructed from asubstantially inelastic material. The back portion preferably includes arear contact layer that comprises the same material used to constructthe plurality of gores.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a prior art baseball cap.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the prior art baseball cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a baseball cap constructed in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the baseball cap of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a back portion of asweatband attached to a gore of the cap of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a front portion of asweatband attached to a gore of the cap of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the front side of a seam cover at thejunction of the back and front portions of the sweatband of the baseballcap of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the back side of the seam cover of FIG.7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 3, shown therein is a cap 100 constructed inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cap100 includes a crown 102 constructed from a plurality of substantiallytriangular gores 104. It will be understood that the crown 102 isadequately shaped and sized to receive the wearer's head. The cap 100also includes a bill 106 that extends from the front of the crown 102.As shown, the bill 106 is slightly contoured in a parabolic fashion.Although the present invention as described herein is embodied withinthe cap 100, it will be understood that the present invention can alsobe applied to other forms of headwear including, but are not limited to,cowboy hats and berets.

In the presently preferred embodiment, the crown 102 is preferablyconstructed from a material that permits a flexible fit to adjust to theunique size of the wearer's head. To enable lateral stretching about thecircumference of the crown 102, as indicated by arrows 108, an elasticfiber is woven into the weft of the material selected to construct thegores 104. Similarly, if a longitudinal flex is desired, an elasticfiber can be woven into the warp of the material used to construct thegores 104. It will be understood that the cap 100 can also beconstructed to have both lateral and longitudinal elasticity.

In an another embodiment, the two front gores 104 are lined with asemi-rigid backing that provides structure and shape to the front of thecrown 102. In this embodiment, it is not necessary that the two frontgores 104 be fabricated from a stretchable material.

Turning to FIG. 4, shown therein is a bottom view of the cap 100. Asshown in FIG. 4, the cap 100 further includes a sweatband 110 that iscircumferentially disposed about the inside of the bottom edge of thecrown 102. In the presently preferred embodiment, the sweatband 110includes an arcuate front portion 112 connected to an arcuate backportion 114 with a seam cover 116. It is also presently preferred thatthe sweatband 110 stretch in a circumferential direction, as indicatedby arrows 118.

Referring to FIG. 5, shown therein is a cross-sectional view of theattachment of the back portion 114 attached to the lower inside edge ofthe crown 102. Preferably, the back portion 114 includes a rear contactlayer 120 attached to a concealed elastic support layer 122. The bottomedges of the rear contact layer 120 and elastic support layer 122 areattached to the lower perimeter of the crown 102. The top edges of therear contact layer 120 and elastic support layer 122 are preferably notsewn to the inside surface of the crown 102.

The rear contact layer 120 is preferably constructed from the samematerial that is used to fabricate the gores 104. As such, the rearcontact layer 120 can be constructed from scrap or other portions of thesame material used to construct the gores 104, thereby providing a lowercost of manufacture. Unlike similar prior art sweatbands, however, therear contact layer 120 is not created by simply folding a portion of thegores 104 inside the crown 102. As such, the rear contact layer 120 doesnot include gore seams or gore reinforcements that tend to createuncomfortable lumps in the sweatband 110.

The elastic support layer 122 is preferably constructed from thinelastic webbing or spandex. The elastic support layer 122 providesadditional structure to the rear contact layer 118 without inhibitingthe overall circumferential flexibility of the sweatband 110. In analternate preferred embodiment, the elastic support layer 122 is notincluded in the back portion 114.

Turning to FIG. 6, the front portion 112 of the sweatband 110 preferablyincludes an exposed front contact layer 124 and a concealed backinglayer 126. The backing layer 126 can be attached at its top and bottomedges to the mating top and bottom edges of the front contact layer 124.As shown, it is preferred that the front contact layer 124 partiallyextend around the interior side of the backing layer 126. The loweredges of the front contact layer 124 and backing layer 126 arecollectively joined with the lower edge of the crown 102. In analternate preferred embodiment, the backing layer 126 is not included inthe front portion 112.

In the presently preferred embodiment, the front contact layer 124 isconstructed from a substantially inelastic woven fabric that exhibitsgood durability. Unlike conventional knitted sweatbands, the woven frontcontact layer 124 permits the selective introduction of a design intothe woven fabric. When woven as an integrated part of the front contactlayer 124, the design does not protrude from the sweatband 110 and isnot subject to smearing when contacted with moisture. The backing layer126 is preferably constructed from a soft, absorbent material.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front portion 112 and the back portion114 of the sweatband 110 are preferably connected with the seam cover116. The seam cover 116 is preferably rectangular in shape, having afirst side connected to the front portion 112 and an opposed second sideconnected to the back portion 114. To reduce the thickness of thesweatband 110, it is preferred that the front portion 112 and backportion 114 not overlap. However, to facilitate manufacture, it may bedesirable to slightly overlap the front and back portions 112, 114before affixing the seam cover 116.

It is also preferred that the seam cover 116 have a low profile abovethe sweatband 116 and be manufactured from a thin piece of fabric thatis tear and wear resistant. Suitable fabrics include polyester and nylonblends. In an alternative embodiment, the seam cover 116 can befabricated from a flexible material that stretches when subjected to atensile load from the front portion 112 and back portion 114. It will benoted that the seam cover 116 can also be used to display a logo ordesign.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the presently preferred embodiment the seam cover116 partially extends from the exposed side of the sweatband 110 to theconcealed side. In an alternate embodiment, however, the seam cover 116extends around the concealed side of the sweatband 110, thereby“sandwiching” the front and back portions 112, 114.

It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out itsobjectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above.

While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed in varying detail for the purposes of this disclosure, it willbe understood that numerous changes may be made which will readilysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassedwithin the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in theappended claims and in the accompanying drawings.

1. A cap comprising: a crown that is substantially hemispherical inshape and configured to receive the head of a wearer, wherein the crownincludes a plurality of gores, wherein the plurality of gores isconstructed from a material that permits lateral stretching about thecircumference of the crown; and a separate unfolded sweatband attachedto-the bottom edge of the crown, wherein the sweatband comprises: afront portion, wherein the front portion includes a front contact layerthat is constructed from a substantially inelastic material; and a backportion, wherein the back portion includes a rear contact layer thatcomprises the same material used to construct the plurality of gores. 2.The cap of claim 1, wherein the front portion further comprises abacking layer constructed from an absorbent material.
 3. The cap ofclaim 1, wherein the back portion includes an elastic support layer thatprovides additional structure to the rear contact layer.
 4. The cap ofclaim 1, wherein the front portion is connected to the back portion witha low profile seam cover.
 5. The cap of claim 4, wherein the seam coveris constructed from an elastic material that stretches when subjected toa tensile load.
 6. The cap of claim 4, wherein the seam cover isconstructed from an inelastic, wear-resistant material.
 7. The cap ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of gores is constructed from a materialthat permits longitudinal stretching transverse to the lateralstretching.
 8. A cap comprising: a crown that is substantiallyhemispherical in shape and configured to receive the head of a wearer,and an unfolded sweatband disposed along the bottom edge of the crown,wherein the sweatband comprises: a low profile rectangular seam cover; afront portion connected to a first side of the seam cover, wherein thefront portion has an exposed front contact layer and a concealedabsorbent backing layer; a back portion connected to an opposed secondside of the seam cover, wherein the back portion has an exposed rearcontact layer and a concealed elastic support layer; and wherein theseam cover extends from the exposed front and rear contact layers to theconcealed absorbent backing and elastic support layers.
 9. The cap ofclaim 8, wherein the crown is constructed from a material that permitslateral stretching about the circumference of the crown.
 10. The cap ofclaim 8, wherein the crown is constructed from a material that permitslongitudinal stretching transverse to the lateral stretching.
 11. Thecap of claim 8, wherein the front contact layer is constructed from asubstantially inelastic, woven material.
 12. The cap of claim 8, whereinthe front contact layer extends around the interior side of the backinglayer.
 13. The cap of claim 8, wherein the front contact layer isconfigured to accept an ornamental design.
 14. The cap of claim 8,wherein the back portion includes a rear contact layer that isconstructed from the same material used to construct the crown.
 15. Thecap of claim 8, wherein the seam cover is configured to receive anornamental design.